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Ryan Bridge

Ryan Bridge

Semantic Summary

Ryan Bridge is the co-founder and de facto frontman of Raise the Colours (RTC), the British far-right group whose trajectory from flag-display nationalism to anti-migrant vigilantism has made Bridge one of the most arrest-burdened figures in the UK far-right landscape. A 44-year-old from Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, with roots in the Birmingham Zulu Warriors football hooligan firm and a pending trial over an alleged Spanish holiday food-poisoning claims scam, Bridge co-founded RTC with Elliott Stanley in summer 2025. Under his leadership, the group escalated from attaching flags to lampposts in Birmingham suburbs to travelling to northern France to slash migrant boats, resulting in a French government ban. By mid-2026, Bridge had been arrested on four separate occasions: in Oxford for racially aggravated harassment, in London for wounding related to the Stirchley hit-and-run that broke a pedestrian's leg, and in Brighton for common assault — all while named in a High Court injunction obtained by Oxfordshire County Council. His inner circle collapsed around him: co-founder Stanley disappeared, founding member Billy Allison was charged with murder, organiser Ben Cullen was charged with making indecent child images, and former members defected publicly, with one telling The i Paper, "I genuinely wish I had never entertained doing what we did." Bridge's increasing isolation — with family members telling him they were glad he was arrested — and his desperate appeals for "even just a pound" as the group's finances evaporated mark RTC's disintegration.

Platform: Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), YouTube

Ryan Bridge, 44, of Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, is the co-founder and de facto frontman of Raise the Colours, the far-right group that emerged from Birmingham in summer 2025 to become Britain's most prominent anti-migrant vigilante network. A former football hooligan with the Birmingham Zulu Warriors firm, Bridge pivoted from personal injury claims businesses (including a Spanish holiday food-poisoning scam awaiting trial) to far-right activism, co-founding RTC with Elliott Stanley. Under Bridge's leadership, the group escalated from flag-raising on lampposts to cross-Channel vigilantism in France — where he filmed himself wading into the sea screaming at migrants and spoke of the "indigenous white population" being "replaced" — triggering a French entry ban on 10 members. By mid-2026 Bridge had been arrested four times: for racially aggravated harassment (Oxford), wounding (Stirchley hit-and-run), and common assault (Brighton). He was named in a High Court injunction banning flag-raising in Oxfordshire. As other members defected, faced murder charges, or were charged with child sex offences, Bridge became increasingly isolated — his own family reportedly told him they were glad he had been arrested. His trajectory illustrates how far-right street activism's performative patriotism masks cascading criminality, internal betrayal, and personal disintegration. Category: Far-right activist / Anti-migrant vigilantism / Far-right media Status: Active Real Name: Ryan Bridge Age: 44 (as of 2026) Location: Bromsgrove, Worcestershire (originally Birmingham) Channel URL / Handle: Raise the Colours (Facebook / Instagram / X) Subscribers/Follower counts: Unknown Monikers: None known

Overview

Ryan Bridge is the co-founder of Raise the Colours (RTC), a British far-right group that rose to public prominence in England in autumn 2025. The group attaches Union and England flags to lampposts across English towns and cities, and has increasingly engaged in anti-migrant vigilantism, including travelling to northern France to harass migrants and destroy boats. Bridge is the de facto frontman of the group and, as of mid-2026, its most prominent member as co-founder Elliott Stanley has not been featured in months and other members have defected citing extremism.

Bridge has been arrested multiple times in 2026 alone: in Oxford (March 2026) on suspicion of racially aggravated harassment; in London (May 2026) on suspicion of wounding related to the Stirchley hit-and-run; in Brighton (June 2026) on suspicion of common assault. He was also named in a High Court injunction in June 2026, agreeing to stop putting up flags in Oxfordshire. His background includes alleged involvement in a Spanish holiday food-poisoning claims scam awaiting trial, business activities in personal injury claims, and association with the Birmingham Zulu Warriors football firm.

The group has been characterised by Hope not Hate, Searchlight, the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, and mainstream media as a far-right anti-migrant vigilante operation. Bridge is described as increasingly isolated, with family members telling him they were glad he had been arrested.

Background

Ryan Bridge grew up in Birmingham and has described himself as coming from a working-class family. He told the BBC that his grandparents had a tea service featuring the then Prince Charles and Princess Diana, and that as a cub scout he walked down the high street waving the same colours. He owns a house in Bromsgrove reported to be worth £600,000.

Bridge is associated with the Birmingham Zulu Warriors, a football hooligan firm linked to Birmingham City F.C. He has previously been arrested and banned from attending football matches for three years as a result of violence involving Aston Villa and Manchester United supporters. According to Hope not Hate, Bridge has spoken of his fascination with the "violent side" of football as a teenager, describing fights as "the best buzz in the world… better than anything".

He told GB News that he and Elliott Stanley are "normal, working class Birmingham businessmen". Bridge has said that members of Raise the Colours are all fans of Birmingham City F.C.

Business Activities

Bridge has created a number of companies operating in the compensation claims sector:

  • Nationwide Personal Injury Specialists — a personal injury claims company
  • UK Holiday Claims Ltd — registered in 2016 but dissolved two years later, with no accounts filed

Around the time UK Holiday Claims was operating, Bridge was named by Spanish police as suspected of being involved in a scam that encouraged holidaymakers to submit false food-poisoning compensation claims in return for a share of any proceeds. Messages were sent through a WhatsApp group named "UK Holiday Claims". A court instruction names Bridge among those allegedly involved in processing false food-poisoning claims. As of October 2025, the case was awaiting trial.

In 2018, the Sunday Mirror reported that Bridge was "at the centre of a probe into allegations that British tourists were encouraged to make bogus compensation claims". Eight Brits were charged over the fake Spanish holiday food-poisoning scam in January 2023.

In May 2026, Bridge asked social media followers to donate "even just a pound" because "the kitty's empty", suggesting the group had spent through tens of thousands of pounds of donations. The i Paper reported the group's fundraising had turned into pleas to help pay legal fees.

Spanish Food-Poisoning Claims Scam (Awaiting Trial)

Bridge was named by Spanish police as suspected of involvement in a holiday sickness fraud scheme. As of 2025, the case remained awaiting trial.

Oxford Arrest — Racially Aggravated Harassment (March/April 2026)

On 31 March 2026, Bridge was arrested in Oxford on suspicion of causing religiously and racially aggravated harassment, alarm or distress after Raise the Colours put up flags on Abingdon Road despite a formal legal notice from Oxfordshire County Council. He was released on bail the following day after 18.5 hours in custody, with a condition not to visit Oxfordshire. In a Facebook video, he described the arrest as "the world's gone mad".

London / Stirchley Arrest — Suspicion of Wounding (May 2026)

On 14 May 2026, a confrontation in Stirchley, Birmingham, escalated when a van reportedly bearing a Raise the Colours logo hit a local resident, leaving him with a broken leg requiring surgery. The van was seized from the location of Bridge's business the following day.

Two days later, on 16 May 2026, Bridge was arrested in London ahead of the Unite the Kingdom march on suspicion of wounding in connection with the Stirchley incident. A second man (aged 52) was also arrested in Birmingham on the same charge. Both were released on bail under strict conditions. Bridge denies any wrongdoing.

A French documentary team was present during the Stirchley flag-raising and captured Bridge's arrest in London.

High Court Injunction — Oxfordshire (June 2026)

In June 2026, Oxfordshire County Council sought and received a High Court injunction against the unauthorised attachment of flags on or near public highways. Bridge, along with Ben Cullen, Trudy Wells and Kevin Good, agreed to stop putting up flags in Oxfordshire and "also agreed not to encourage others to put flags up, and not to obstruct any council worker or contractor taking them down". Bridge described the injunction as "horrendous".

Brighton Arrest — Common Assault (June 2026)

On 13 June 2026, Bridge was arrested at an anti-immigration protest in Brighton organised by South East Patriots, where he was listed as a speaker. He was arrested on suspicion of common assault and conditionally bailed until 14 July. Footage showed him being struck in the face by a masked counter-protester before being led away by Sussex Police. Eight people were arrested in total at the protest.

Football Ban

Bridge has previously been banned from attending football matches for three years due to violence related to Aston Villa and Manchester United supporters, associated with his involvement in the Birmingham Zulu Warriors football firm.

Raise the Colours Activity

Founding and Flag-Raising

Raise the Colours was co-founded by Ryan Bridge and Elliott Stanley in summer 2025. The group emerged from a broader decentralised flagging movement begun by former English Defence League member Andy Currien. Bridge and Stanley formed the group to put up Union and England flags on lampposts in suburbs of Birmingham (Stirchley, Harborne, Moseley) and villages in Worcestershire (Alvechurch, Barnt Green, Blackwell), without highways authority permission.

Anti-Migrant Vigilantism in France

From November 2025, the group escalated from symbolic flagging to extra-territorial vigilantism along the Normandy coast. Bridge filmed himself wading into the sea shouting at migrants boarding dinghies, speaking about the "indigenous white population" being "replaced". The group called for "firms" (football hooligan groups) to join them. They posted videos of themselves destroying small boats' engines.

Bridge was joined on visits to France by former Tommy Robinson bodyguard Danny "Tommo" Thomas (who later fell out with Bridge and left the group). They travelled to Paris, filming themselves harassing homeless migrants. Bridge brandished a homemade press card, falsely claiming to be from "the press association". On one visit, former Chelsea Headhunters leader Jason Marriner joined them.

In January 2026, the French interior ministry banned 10 British nationals from entering or residing in France, labelling them "far-right activists". Bridge was among those banned.

Stirchley Confrontations

Raise the Colours repeatedly returned to Stirchley to replace flags taken down by residents, using a cherry picker. Video footage from 14 May 2026 showed Bridge shouting that he wants to "get immigrants out of our fucking country". Another masked man in a Raise the Colours hoodie was seen grabbing the face covering of a woman from an ethnic minority, and punching out at residents. The confrontation escalated to the hit-and-run incident.

Henry Nowak Protest

Current and former Raise the Colours members attended the violent protest in Southampton on 3 June 2026 following the murder of Henry Nowak. A video from the crowd was posted to the group's social media, showing protesters throwing a bin towards police.

Evolution of Membership

By June 2026, several members had left Raise the Colours. The i Paper reported:

  • Elliott Stanley (co-founder) "has not been featured in months"
  • Danny Thomas left the group after a split with Bridge, the two trading violent threats in leaked voice notes
  • Former members said the group became "the Ryan Bridge show" focused on boosting his social media popularity
  • One former member said: "I genuinely wish I had never entertained doing what we did because it hasn't worked out as we originally envisioned"
  • Bridge appears to be increasingly isolated, saying in one video that family members had told him they were glad he had been arrested and urging him to stop
  • Newer faces appearing in clips include a man who posted a video doing a fist-salute while holding an "Aryan Power" banner and wearing neo-nazi symbols
  • Elliott Stanley — Co-founder of Raise the Colours; former director of Sex Doll Official; not featured in months as of mid-2026
  • Danny "Tommo" Thomas — Former member; Tommy Robinson associate; convicted of attempted kidnapping (2016); fell out with Bridge; now runs his own boat-based anti-migrant vigilante operation
  • Tommy Robinson — Far-right figurehead who has shared Raise the Colours' social media posts and been linked to their activities
  • Billy Allison — Raise the Colours member charged with murder and GBH with intent (Lichfield bar incident, May 2026); due to stand trial October 2026
  • Jason Marriner — Former Chelsea Headhunters leader who joined the group on visits to France
  • Ben Cullen — Raise the Colours member from Oxford; named in High Court injunction
  • Andy Currien — Former EDL member who began the broader decentralised flagging movement that preceded Raise the Colours
  • Restore Britain — New ultra-right-wing political party that some former Raise the Colours members have backed
  • Richard Tice — Reform UK MP who accused the Liberal Democrats of hating patriotism after the Oxfordshire injunction
  • Andrew Bridgen — Rejoined Reform UK after praising Bridge and calling for support for the group (per Wikipedia references)
  • Awaiting trial — Spanish food-poisoning claims scam (alleged)
  • March 2026 — Arrested in Oxford (suspicion of racially/religiously aggravated harassment); bailed with conditions
  • April 2026 — Received formal legal notice from Oxfordshire County Council
  • May 2026 — Arrested in London (suspicion of wounding, Stirchley hit-and-run); bailed under strict conditions; van seized from his business premises
  • June 2026 — High Court injunction; agreed to stop putting up flags in Oxfordshire
  • June 2026 — Arrested in Brighton (suspicion of common assault); conditionally bailed
  • Football ban — Banned from matches for three years for violence
  • French ban — Among 10 British nationals banned from entering France
  • Bail conditions — Excluded from Oxfordshire (April) and subject to "strict conditions" (May)

Sources

  • Wikipedia — "Raise the Colours (organisation)" — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raise_the_Colours_(organisation)
  • Wikipedia — "Operation Raise the Colours" — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Raise_the_Colours
  • The Guardian — "UK flag-raising group leader arrested on suspicion of causing 'alarm and distress'" (Neha Gohil, 2 Apr 2026)
  • The Guardian — "Man hit by van in Birmingham after residents take down union flags" (Neha Gohil, 15 May 2026)
  • The Guardian — "Nationalist group leaders agree to stop hoisting St George's flags in Oxfordshire" (Matthew Weaver, 23 Jun 2026)
  • The i Paper — "Vigilantes defect from Raise the Colours as it descends into anti-migrant extremism" (Sanya Burgess, 4 Jun 2026)
  • BBC News — "Legal letters and TV cameras: How the row over flags in Birmingham reached boiling point" (Rebecca Woods & Eleanor Lawson, 24 May 2026)
  • BBC News — "Man injured in hit-and-run after flags clash" (15 May 2026)
  • Birmingham Mail — "Raise the Colours co-founder Ryan Bridge 'arrested' during protest clash" (14 Jun 2026)
  • Birmingham Mail — "Ryan Bridge speaks of London arrest as man in hospital after hit-and-run crash" (Ben Perrin, 18 May 2026)
  • The Canary — "Raise the Colours' Ryan Bridge bailed after assault at protest" (15 Jun 2026)
  • Oxford Mail — "Ryan Bridge speaks of London arrest after Oxford incident" (20 May 2026)
  • The Mirror — "Flag campaign chief praised by Tommy Robinson facing jail over Spanish holiday sickness scam" (22 Nov 2025)
  • Hope not Hate — "Raise the Colours: Who are the playground bullies plaguing British streets?" (25 May 2026) [behind Cloudflare]
  • Searchlight Magazine — Coverage of Bridge and Thomas split
  • The Dispatch (Birmingham) — "Red flags: The non-existent company behind Brum's Union Jacks" (Kate Knowles, 3 Oct 2025)
  • Instagram / X — Raise the Colours social media channels

Notes

  • Bridge's age (44) is drawn from multiple police statements referring to a "44-year-old man from Worcestershire/Worcestershire"
  • The HOPE not Hate profile (25 May 2026) was behind Cloudflare and could not be extracted directly; material from it is cited via the Wikipedia article which references it
  • Bridge's exact subscriber/follower counts across platforms are not publicly known
  • Status as of June 2026: Active and posting on social media despite multiple arrests and legal restrictions
  • The group's financial situation appears precarious; Bridge appealed for small donations in May 2026

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